We are proud to celebrate the latest research achievement from our PhD candidates. Rony Azar and Saka Bahadur, alongside IES President Dr. Soula Kyriakou, have been published in the Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences for their paper, “Between Survival and Sustainability: How Small Textile Enterprises Navigate Environmental and Economic Pressures in India’s Ganges Basin.”

Their research shines a light on one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. The Ganges River, sacred to hundreds of millions of people and a lifeline for communities across India, is under severe threat from industrial pollution. At the heart of this crisis are thousands of small textile businesses caught between the pressure to survive economically and the responsibility to protect the environment around them.

This study listens to the voices of those entrepreneurs directly, exploring how they navigate impossible trade-offs, adapt their practices, and seek ways forward within a system that does not always make it easy to do the right thing. It is research that is both academically rigorous and deeply human.

This kind of work is exactly what IES is about. We believe that great research does not just sit on a shelf. It informs policy, shifts thinking, and contributes to a better world. We could not be more proud of Rony, Saka, and Dr. Kyriakou for bringing this important conversation to an international audience.

The full article is now available for readers, researchers, and policymakers worldwide to explore and reference.

Full citation: Azar R., Bahadur S., Naipaul R., & Kyriakou S. (2026). Between Survival and Sustainability: How Small Textile Enterprises Navigate Environmental and Economic Pressures in India’s Ganges Basin. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.36941/mjss-2026-0078